Don't tell Warren Rychel the Windsor Spitfires back-doored their way to the Memorial Cup last May -- at least not to his face.

"I feel the same about this as the first two (back-to-back titles in 2009 and '10)," the Spits GM said. "If you beat the Erie Otters twice at the Cup in six or seven days, you deserve it. We went 4-0 and left no doubt we were the best team in the tournament. I don't feel we back-doored it at all.

“Against London, we ran into some injuries and calls that didn't go our way, but we put that behind us.

"It was a good (Cup win). We were awarded the event (to host) just like it's awarded every other year."

The Spits visit Budweiser Gardens Friday for the first time since Olli Juolevi's third-period goal stunningly eliminated them in Game 7 of the first-round of the OHL playoffs. As host city, though, Windsor got an automatic spot in the Memorial Cup tournament, and used a lengthy pre-event rest to their full advantage.

Everyone expects Windsor to rebuild and finish at the bottom of the Western Conference standings this season.

But not Rychel.

"We're in limbo right now, but I think we're a playoff team," he said. "We have arguably the best goalie in the league in Mikey (DiPietro). (Captain Aaron) Luchuk is one of the premier overagers. (Gabe) Vilardi, Logan Brown, Sean Day and (Mikhail) Sergachev are all still eligible to play on my team."

Vilardi is hurt, the Senators expect to give Brown an extended look and Sergachev is on the record saying he's done with junior hockey. But Rychel is confident three 19-year-olds brought in on tryouts -- Igor Larionov, Jr., Joseph Mizzi and overager Jake Smith, formerly in Val d'Or -- will turn heads.

"You can't roll out all 16- and 17-year-olds or you'll get killed every night," Rychel said. "These guys will get a chance to play a lot and I just said to the players until (NHL prospects) come through the front door, this is our team. We can't expect miracles to happen and guys to come back and save us.

"This organization has pride and it'll be good to enter the season as underdogs."

Rychel, also a Spits co-owner, has watched a lot of seasoned hockey men advance from the junior ranks to the pros recently. He has stayed, even though he has more Memorial Cup rings -- three in the past decade -- than any of them.

He admits there were some opportunities to consider this summer.

"You've got make sure it's the perfect fit and the right people," he said. "You look at (ex-Knights GM) Mark Hunter, he hit a perfect storm there (in Toronto). You have to be careful and make sure if you do leave, the timing and fit is right. This (Windsor) will always be here. I live four miles from the rink, we're a well-respected franchise, all of our money is tied up here and my family lives here. I have kids still at home (son Maddux, 18, and daughter Kendall, 15).

"But you never say no. Every NHL team needs good, experienced hockey guys."

And they like champions.

Say what you want about the Spits, Rychel's teams get the job done on the biggest stage.